Round tooth cutters

Abstract

A device for mechanically removing material from a workpiece or bulk feedstock, thereby creating chips of removed material while producing a new surface on the workpiece or bulk feedstock. The device comprises a body and at least one round cutting insert that is tangentially mounted on the body. Location and orientation of the insert is characterized by a reference plane offset and an insert axis angle. The insert has an outwardly-facing rake surface on which chips are formed. A planar flank surface is oriented relative to a cutting motion so as to provide clearance between the cutting insert and the surface created by removal of a layer that is converted into chips. A circular cutting edge lies at the intersection of the flank and rake surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for removing material from a parent piece, thereby creating one or more chips of removed material while producing a new surface on the parent piece, the device comprising:
 a. a body;   b. at least one round cutting insert mounted on the body so that an orientation of the cutting insert is characterized by an insert axis lying in a plane having an offset from a reference plane (the X-Z plane) and oriented at an angle measured from an axis (the Z-axis), the cutting insert being free to rotate about the insert axis under the forces of chip formation, the cutting insert comprising:
 i. a rake surface that is outwardly facing relative to the insert axis for forming a chip; 
 ii. a flank surface that is oriented relative to a cutting motion so as to provide clearance between the cutting insert and the new surface produced on the parent piece; and 
 iii. a circular cutting edge at the intersection of the flank surface and the rake surface. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , in which the body is non-rotatable and the parent piece is rotatable about the axis. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , in which the parent piece is non-rotatable and the body is rotatable about the axis. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , in which two or more round cutting inserts are distributed circumferentially around the body, the round cutting inserts having the same or differing orientations. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , in which the round cutting inserts are also distributed axially on the body. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4 , in which the round cutting inserts are also distributed radially on the body. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 4 , in which the round cutting inserts are distributed axially and radially on the body. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , in which the round cutting insert further comprises a cylindrical surface and an axially planar surface by which it mounts to the body, the cylindrical surface mating with a cylindrical surface on the body and the planar surface mating with a planar surface on the body. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , in which the cylindrical surface on the round cutting insert is outwardly facing relative to an insert axis. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , in which the cylindrical surface on the round cutting insert is inwardly facing relative to an insert axis. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , in which the round cutting insert further comprises at least one gap in the cutting edge. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , in which the rake surface is formed by a circumferential groove. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , in which a tangent to the flank surface adjacent to the cutting edge is conical. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 8 , in which a tangent to the rake surface adjacent to the cutting edge is conical. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 8 , in which the rake surface of the round cutting insert is cylindrical. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , in which the round cutting insert has two rake surfaces each intersecting with a corresponding flank surface forming two circular cutting edges. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , in which there is at least one gap in at least one of the circular cutting edges. 
     
     
         18 . A device for removing material from a parent piece, thereby creating one or more chips of removed material while producing a new surface on the parent piece, the device comprising:
 a. a body;   b. at least one round cutting insert mounted on the body so that an orientation of the cutting insert is characterized by an insert axis lying in a plane having an offset from a reference plane (the X-Z plane) and oriented at an angle measured from an axis (the Z-axis), the cutting insert being free to rotate about the insert axis under the forces of chip formation, the cutting insert comprising:
 i. a rake surface that is outwardly facing relative to the insert axis for forming a chip; 
 ii. a flank surface that is oriented relative to a cutting motion so as to provide clearance between the cutting insert and the new surface produced on the parent piece; 
 iii. a circular cutting edge at the intersection of the flank surface and the rake surface; and 
 iv. at least one gap in the cutting edge. 
   
     
     
         19 . A device for removing material from a parent piece, thereby creating one or more chips of removed material while producing a new surface on the parent piece, the device comprising:
 a. a body that is rotatable about an axis (the Z-axis);   b. two or more round cutting inserts mounted on the body so that an orientation of each cutting insert is characterized by an insert axis lying in a plane having an offset from a corresponding reference plane (the X-Z plane) and oriented at an angle measured from the axis, at least one cutting insert being free to rotate about its insert axis under the forces of chip formation, each cutting insert comprising:
 i. a rake surface that is outwardly facing relative to the insert axis for forming a chip; 
 ii. a flank surface that is oriented relative to a cutting motion so as to provide clearance between the cutting insert and the new surface produced on the parent piece; and 
 iii. a circular cutting edge at the intersection of the flank surface and the rake surface. 
   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , in which at least one round cutting insert further comprises at least one gap in the cutting edge.